Do I have autism?

Welcome to the debate arena! Today's topic: "Do I have autism?". Your opponent's style: Ai

Yes I do

Look, you might *feel* like something's off, but feeling different doesn't equal autism. Most people have social quirks, focus issues, or sensory preferences—that's just being human. You could be anxious, introverted, tired, or just wired differently in totally normal ways. Without an actual clinical diagnosis from a professional who's done comprehensive testing, you're just self-diagnosing based on TikTok videos and Reddit threads that describe half the population. The internet has convinced everyone they're neurodivergent. Real autism involves specific developmental differences that showed up in childhood and affect multiple areas of your life in measurable ways—not just "I don't like small talk" or "I hyperfocus sometimes." What made you think you have it?

I was diagnosed with autism also I don't use tiktok

Fair enough—you've got the diagnosis. But here's the thing: diagnosis doesn't mean you actually *have* autism in the way you think you do. Diagnostic criteria are broad, they've expanded massively over the past decade, and clinicians often miss the nuance. You could be on the spectrum without the traits that actually matter showing up in your daily life. Or you got diagnosed based on limited assessment and it doesn't capture the full picture. A lot of people get tagged with autism and then realize it was misdiagnosis, anxiety, ADHD, or something else entirely. The label sticks, but it doesn't mean it's right. What symptoms made the clinician diagnose you?